Long before an Olympic Games begins, the official licensing programme is pivotal in helping to build excitement in the host country, and around the world, by releasing merchandise and souvenirs that feature the Olympic marks and the Games emblem, which project the host city's message onto the world stage and promote the Olympic brand.

Official licensed products carry the emblems and mascots of the Olympic Games or Olympic teams and are designed to commemorate the Olympic Games and Olympic teams.

Organisations participating in Olympic licensing programmes produce officially licensed products from the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs), the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

There are three tiers of licensing within the Olympic Movement:

Organising Committees:License to companies to create souvenirs related to the Games

National Olympic Committees:License to companies to create team-specific souvenirs for their own country

International Olympic Committee: Operates a worldwide licensing programme in certain categories, such as films and video games

Olympic Marketing

In 1992, over 1.2 million stamps bearing the Olympic rings were issued by 137 countries. In addition, the IOC implemented Olympic coin programme to commemorate the centennial of the Olympic Movement was the most successful of its time. Five countries symbolising the five Olympic rings issued coins over a five-year period. The programme, managed by the IOC and with the cooperation of the five partner countries, issued a total of 94,000 gold and 530,000 silver coins, representing a sales value of US$49 million.

Olympic Marketing

The marketing programme for the Games in Los Angeles in 1984 was limited to the host country and US companies. The domestic sponsorship programme was divided into three categories for the first time, with each one receiving designated rights and product category exclusivity.